Registrars & Hosting Companies Using the Google Sandbox to Influence Longer Domain Registration Payments
A WebmasterWorld member posted a thread asking how critical it is to register a domain name for longer than a year. He asks, because his hosting company claimed that registering a domain name longer than one year, will improve his rankings in Google.
First, there is no conclusive evidence that the patent that Google issued that shows how a search engine can use domain registration length to determine the 'spamminess' of a site will be applied to Google results.
Second, if it did, why wouldn't spammers who can potentially make millions a month, spend an extra few hundred bucks to register a throw away domain for ten years.
Three, it is not right for a hosting or domain registration company to profit off of this, in my opinion.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
Update: It seems Google has gone on the record saying domain registration length does not impact rankings.
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rustybrick in Other Search Topics at May 4, 2006 7:53 AM
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I renew all my domains on an annual basis and my rankings have not suffered in the least. So far, my registrar has not suggested that I renew in any way I don't want to. Nor has my hosting company approached me with such a ridiculous suggestion.
I would call them on it if they did, and most likely would move my domains to more reasonable companies.
Posted by Michael Martinez at May 4, 2006 13:42